Having coached for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the past five seasons, retired quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen has insight into the mind and life of future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady that hasn't been granted to many.
However, the ability to coach Brady came with more than the pressure of winning a championship this season.
Christensen, speaking to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, revealed that he was concerned about Brady as he went through his personal ordeals.
“Yeah,” Christensen says, “I worried about him. He lost that weight. It was very stressful.”
The 66-year-old was also candid about Brady's publicized divorce from his wife of 13 years, Gisele Bündchen. While many believed that Brady was given some sort of ultimatum between his family and football, Christensen notes that Brady was “somewhat blindsided.”
Brady and the Bucs finished the 2022 season at 8-9, the first sub-.500 season in Brady's illustrious career. The 15-time Pro Bowler also recorded a career-low QBR (52.6).
“And he battled and he hurt, but he put on the brave face and did it again,” Christensen muses. “You’ve got a bunch of folks depending on you. I have an unbelievable respect for what Tom did this year. Off-the-charts amount of respect for him just managing things.”
While NFL fans will have their own opinions on how Brady handled his personal life, nobody can question that Brady put on a brave face through it all, as his former coach notes.
Nonetheless, should Brady return, it will be interesting to see how he handles another disappointing season.
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